Biofuels and Bioproducts from Thermophilic, Anaerobic Bacteria

Dear Colleagues,

Thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria have gained interest in the last two decades or so. Since the discovery of thermophiles in the 1960s, most attention has been focused on aerobic bacteria, while anaerobic, heterotrophic bacteria have gained less attention. However, thermophilic and extremophilic anaerobes have many properties that are of scientific interest, both in the field of biofuel (biohydrogen, bioethanol) and for the production of fine chemicals. In a world heavily dependent on fossil fuels, these bacteria may represent the key to solving many environmental issues that are caused by the use of these fuel types. Today, the production of bioethanol is mainly dependent on the use of first-generation biomass like sugarcane and starch, instead of complex biomass. The main reason for this is the fact that wild-type yeasts used in production do not degrade the various sugars present in lignocellulose. Therefore, increased attention has been paid to the use of thermophilic anaerobic bacteria capable of degrading the various hexoses, pentoses, and disaccharides present in complex biomass. These bacteria are not only interesting because of the production of ethanol, but also hydrogen, and moreover the production of various fine chemicals, which today mostly originate from fossil fuels. However, many bacteria, both aerobic and anaerobic, have been shown to produce various fine enzymes and chemicals like 1,2 and 1,3-propanediol from sugars and deoxysugars, branched-chain alcohols from branched-chain amino acids, and are able to convert cheap fatty acids to long-chain carbon alcohols by fermentation.

The goal of this Special Issue is to publish both recent innovative research results, as well as review papers on the production of biofuels and fine chemicals by thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria. Review and research papers on recent developments in genetic engineering within the field and production of the wide variety of enzymes used for degrading lignocellulose are also of interest. If you would like to contribute a review paper, please contact one of the editors to discuss the topic's relevance before submitting the manuscript.

Prof. Dr. Johann Örlygsson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• bioethanol
• biohydrogen
• thermophiles
• anaerobic
• fine chemicals
• biotechnology
• genetic engineering